Space
by Dxyz
Summary: Barry asks Iris for space and gets what he asked for.
1. Chapter 1

**Space**

 _Barry asks Iris for space and gets what he asked for._

 _This is my first attempt at Fanfiction. After watching episode 16, this idea came to me and wouldn't go away. Space takes place after Barry askes Iris for space and goes AU until episode 18._

 **Chapter One**

Iris walked briskly from her car, hugging herself from the chill of the cold wind as she headed towards the apartment. The street was oppressively dark and she chided herself for choosing to stay at CCPN after midnight. As her heels slowed to a steady click against the asphalt, in preparation for the door she was approaching, she sighed loudly and fetched her key from her pocket. Maybe she should have gone to her dad tonight after all. She hadn't wanted to seem like a child, didn't want to include him in their mess and, maybe if she was willing to admit it to herself, she even hoped Barry might have changed his mind, but she'd chosen to stay at the loft. Now that she was standing at the front entrance of the apartment building where she'd been sharing a home with the man she loved, she was regretting that decision. Regret turned into deep melancholy as she entered the lonely lobby and found the elevator. It arrived quickly and she stepped inside. He hadn't called her once today. He'd sent a solitary text in the afternoon. Hope you're okay _,_ it had said. No, I miss you. No, I love you. Of course. It hurt to receive it and made her angry. That anger was returning now. She dropped her bag at the door as she entered the apartment and let her coat slip from her arms. She didn't reach for the light, choosing to let the darkness of the room swallow her instead.

 _He'd been waiting in the shadows for her to arrive. She walked pass him with determined strides and he'd remained easily unseen in the periphery of her gaze. When she opened her door and stepped inside without immediately closing it, he didn't hesitate._

Iris had just piled her hair into a ponytail, preparing to tie it away from her shoulders, when she felt a sting against her neck. A bee sting? She didn't have time to consider it.

Barry zipped pass the bus just in time to snap up the little boy, who had darted across the road for his ball. In a fraction of a second the child was standing before his mother, both too bewildered to react. Barry slowed just enough to give the woman a nod before vanishing before her eyes.

Feeling satisfied that there was no other emergency that needed his attention, Barry headed in the direction of Star Labs. In a few moments, he was pulling off his cowl and walking towards a lively conversation. He guessed it was about him since all the voices hushed as he turned the corner. He was silently grateful that he hadn't made out what exactly was being said. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to any of his friends about how he was feeling. Cisco offered him a frigid 'Hey'. Barry already knew his friend didn't like his recent decisions regarding his relationship with Iris – from lying about the reasons he proposed to now, moving out. It wasn't that his friend minded that he was crashing on his couch but as he'd said so clearly this morning before he headed out the door. "You need to go home to her man. This decision doesn't make any sense." Barry nodded at his friend. Caitlin's gaze on the other hand seemed a lot more sympathetic. Once he had flashed out of his suit and was standing before them in his day clothes, she moved towards him until she was face to face with him. "How are you doing? Cisco told me what happened." Barry thought she was going to hug him. He was grateful when she didn't.

"I'm fine," he replied and then, side stepping her to face the team, he continued, "How are things here?"

"Pretty quiet BA." HR chimed in. "You took care of every criminal or potential criminal before lunch time so…" He was right, Barry had been really busy. All his paperwork had been filed at work at 4 am this morning – the last thing he wanted to do was run into Joe -, and he'd spent the rest of the morning looking for people to help as the Flash. Still, no amount of busy work could stop his mind from going to her. He missed her. It'd been two days now since he told her he wanted space and every day was becoming harder than the last. He hadn't expected not to see her. He'd assumed she'd still be around and it would be easy to keep an eye on her but she hadn't shown up at Star Labs or at CCPD in two days. A nagging part of him was beginning to worry but he tried to suppress it. He was the one who had said he needed space. She was obliging. Besides, she had responded to his text yesterday with – I'm fine. So at least he knew she was alive. That thought arrested him the moment it came to his mind and his eyes flew towards Cisco immediately for some reason.

"Have you heard from her? Have any of you?" He asked, embarrassed to even have to ask. Keeping his tone even, even though the nagging feeling in his head was quickly turning into fear. Everyone shook their head.

"Have you tried calling?" Caitlin asked.

Before Barry could admit that he hadn't. Cisco cleared his throat, his eyes glued to Barry's. "I called her." His look was a challenge, "Last night. We spoke around 10pm. She was still at work."

"Why didn't you say something?" Barry said.

Cisco paused intentionally and Barry bit his tongue. Cisco addressed Caitlin. "I told her I would call to check on her again this morning but her phone went straight to voicemail when I did."

Barry ran a hand across his neck where it was becoming stiff. Caitlin voiced what he was thinking, "We should at least know where she is and that she is okay…with Savitar on the loose anything could happen."

And there it was. The reason why he was an idiot, Barry decided. Savitar was still on the loose and Iris was in mortal danger. Why on earth did he think leaving her at a time like this made any sense at all? He pulled out his phone and turned away from them as he called her. There was no ring. Just her warm, soft voice as the voicemail picked up the call. He turned around and with only a quick meeting of eyes with Cisco's, he flashed out the room.

Barry ran to CCPN first. It was some minutes after 1pm in the afternoon. It made sense that she would be at work. He steadied himself, fixed his clothes, his hair and walked into the newsroom and headed towards her office. This was one change he'd really liked when he had returned from Flashpoint. Iris had her own office and had received a promotion from the cub-reporter position she'd been in for a year and a half. He was always happy when her talent was recognized. He smiled a little at the memory of a night a few weeks okay. Her story had made the front page. He'd been so proud to purchase a copy from a vendor and see her name on the byline. That night she'd been working late, finishing another story, and he had surprised her as the Flash by whisking her away from her desk. She'd feigned disapproval when he put her down atop Jitter's rooftop. "Miss West," he'd greeted, voice vibrating for effect.

"Flash." She had responded, startled and still catching her breath. "What're you…Barry, what's going on..."

"I read your story today and I just had to see you," he'd continued. Deciding right then and there to commit to the role. "I was really impressed by your take on the recent real estate boom in Central City and its possible connection to the drug cartels in Star City." Iris had seemed surprised and impressed, almost as if she hadn't thought he'd really read the article. He'd filed away her reaction as a sign that he needed to make it more clear just how impressed he was with her work. "Sounds like dangerous stuff though Miss West."

Grinning, and reflexively running a hand through her hair, she'd replied, "good thing I have a guardian angel who's always ready to whisk me away to safety." Barry faltered, forgetting what he'd wanted to say next and just stared at her. She was so beautiful. So mesmerizing to look at. She was just standing there in front of him, her hair windswept, her cardigan hanging loose off her shoulders, her fitted dress hugging her perfect body. She'd taken a step towards him and he had covered the remaining space between them in half a second and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so proud of you baby." He'd whispered against her neck. "Can I take you home and show you how much?"

As Barry approached her office now, his body responded to the memory of that night and the longingness he had been feeling since he walked out two days ago pounced on him. The moment he saw her, he would apologize for allowing his fear to cloud his judgement and then he would spend the rest of their lives making her forget he'd ever made such a dumb decision! Only, she wasn't in her office and by the looks of it, there was no sign of her ever being there today. Refusing to jump to any conclusions, he found the nearest co-worker, a man with striking white blonde hair and blue rimmed glasses, who had been standing near her door.

"Barry Allen," he greeted before Barry had uttered his own. Barry looked on curiously now.

"How is our Iris today?" The stranger asked. Barry frowned at 'our' and then immediately tried to shake off the undeserved annoyance he was feeling towards the man.

"I came to check on her." Barry admitted. "She wasn't feeling well when I left for work this morning…" Questionable excuse he knew. After all, why not just call her. It's not like this stranger new he could zip across the city in minutes.

"Oh. I thought she was home, sick today."

There was that panic again and that stiffness in Barry's neck was getting worse. "Sorry. I have to go." He said and walked away abruptly. He was desperate to just flash out of there but he knew, without even looking back that the man was still watching him. He probably had a crush on Iris, Barry decided and filed that thought away to potentially pick at later. After knowing Iris West for almost twenty years, if there was one thing he was used to, it was other people finding her attractive. There was no way he could survive being with her if he didn't know how to let stuff like that go or at least convince himself he was. As soon as he was outside he called Cisco.

"Something is wrong. Check the location of her phone. I'm heading to the apartment."

On the outside, the apartment building seemed just as he had left it. He found Iris' car, parked in its usual parking spot by the side of the building and was fleetingly hopeful. He ignored the elevator and flashed up the stairs to the loft, impatient to see her. The moment he crossed the hall to their door, all the fears he had been trying to keep at bay came crashing down. Their door was open. He stepped inside the doorway and saw her bag by the side of it – her coat on the floor. He didn't need to call out her name. Iris would never leave their door open. Not after what happened with Clive Yorkin. She was also not likely to leave her things lying around. That was his thing. Barry stumbled in the doorway, falling back against the wall, he fished his pone out of his pocket. "Cisco?" His voice sounded shaky even to him. He hated that.

"Barry her phone is completely off the grid. I can't –"

"I'm heading to CCPD. Call Wally."

Barry took off before the conversation ended on his phone. He found Joe in mid conversation with Cecile and interrupted them abruptly, vaguely apologizing as he pulled Joe aside.

"Have you seen Iris?" Barry asked.

Joe's brows knitted. "Today? No. I mean we were supposed to have lunch but she didn't show, I thought work…what's going on?" Barry ran a hand cross his face and paced for a second or two before turning to face Joe.

"I – I can't find her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's missing."

"What?" Joe's eyes widened, Barry saw his jaw tense, knew he was beginning to lose his cool. "When was the last time you heard from her?"

"Two days ago."

"What?!"

Barry took a deep breath and - "After Wally and I returned from the Speed Force and we went home, I – I told her we needed some space and I went to stay with Cisco. That's where I've been for the last two days. I sent her a text yesterday and she responded but that is the only communication I've had with her." He kept eye contact with the man who had assumed the role of father-in-law years ago. Something tilted inside him at Joe's expression.

"I will fix this Joe. I'm heading back to Star Labs right now. Maybe you could do something here." Joe blinked. That look of death etched on his face; a scar now. Barry nodded at him one final time before flashing away.

Everyone, except Joe, was in Star Labs and this time Barry flashed right into the middle of the room.  
"Cisco, vibe her," he ordered, interrupting whatever it was the group had been saying. Barry tossed the cream jacket Iris had left on the floor, to Cisco, who caught it expertly. Cisco nodded and as everyone stilled so that he could do his magic, Barry's eyes caught Wally's from across the room. He was already a mess since his time in the Speed Force, now he looked utterly dejected. Barry pushed down the need to blame himself for Wally's added distress too. He had to focus.

Cisco was in deep concentration for a few protracted minutes before his eyes widened and he turned to meet Barry's desperate gaze.

"She's alive but she's scared Barry. I couldn't tell exactly where she was but wherever she is, she's not alone."

Barry bristled. "Who is with her? Did you see a face?"

"No. I just kind of knew there was someone there because of how she was reacting."

"Is she hurt?" Caitlin asked.

"No – no. She didn't seem physically hurt."

"We've got to get her back." Wally said with gravel in his voice.

"Was there anything else Cisco. Anything that could give us a hint?!" Barry asked. The team recognized his thinly veiled dread. Cisco tried to think, searching for something, anything but all he saw was Iris in an empty room. "Keep trying. Use the computers too. Do all you can please! I'm going out to search the streets. Contact me on the com if something comes up."

"I'm going out too." Wally added, both suited up and flashed away.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Iris turned up five days later. Wally found her wandering the street in downtown Central City. It happened by chance as he was doing yet another search of the area and when he first saw her, he almost didn't believe his eyes. After all the measures they had taken, she had just turned up barefooted, her clothes filthy, her hair and face dirty, her lip split – stumbling on the corner. He was just in time to catch her before her body hit the ground. When he held her, she looked up at him, said his name faintly and promptly passed out.  
Wally debated whether to take Iris to Star Labs or the hospital but in the end, Star Labs won because he was sure whatever had happened to her had something to do with a metahuman or Savitar himself. As soon as he had her on the bed in the medical bay and had checked that she was in fact breathing and just sleeping, he called everyone. Of course, Barry was there in less than a minute. He'd been up too, searching the streets despite the fact that it was after 3 in the morning. Barry Allen hadn't really slept at all for the entire week.  
He walked in, saw the love of his life lying on a bed in Star Labs, hurt and broken and felt rage and anguish in equal measures, all at once. The events of the Yorkin episode came rushing back. He hadn't been able to save her from the pain then either. He was by her side in a heartbeat, silent tears streaming down his face as he searched her face and counted all the evidence of trauma he could see.  
"Caitlin is on her way." Wally said, his voice a cask of emotions. Barry appreciated his foresight. There were so many expressions of gratitude he had for the young man in that moment but all he could muster was thank you.  
Joe arrived next. He lay eyes on his daughter and knew he had to make someone pay for their sins. He turned to Barry and Wally and asked them to point him in the direction of his target. Neither could of course. Wally explained again that he had just found her wandering the streets.  
Barry fell away from the conversations and made his way back to Iris' side. She was sleeping peacefully. He watched her chest rise and fall, her eyelashes flutter just slightly, the smooth bow of her beautiful lip, now interrupted by a split in the corner and he imagined for a moment, someone hitting her there. His fists doubled and he had to swallow a growl. Caitlin's hand came to rest on his shoulder and he released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.  
"She's here with us now. We'll make sure she is okay." She assured sweetly. She stepped by him to check Iris for any sign of head trauma. Cisco walked in the room just as Caitlin straightened and facing Barry said, "There's something attached to the back of Iris' head," loudly enough for all of them to hear. Barry moved in closer as Caitlin pointed out the small silver knob that was attached just above her neck. It could have passed for a piercing if they hadn't known differently. Cisco moved in then, thinking that he might be the most help.  
"What is it?" Joe asked.  
"I don't' know." Caitlin replied. Joe huffed at that and Caitlin added more sympathetically. "I'm sorry."  
"What I think we can guess is that it's connected to her brain, given its position at her cerebellum." Cisco spoke up. "Whatever it is, we can't even think about removing it until we know for sure what it is and what it is doing to her."  
"We need to let her rest and wait for her to wake up." Caitlin offered. "Her vitals are ok. She's dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion but I'm taking care of that. Let's just leave her to rest for a while."  
"I'm not leaving her ever again." Barry countered.  
Joe nodded after Barry. "Good."  
Eventually everyone exited the medical bay so that Barry could be alone with Iris but no one left the premises. HR, Cisco and Caitlin went down to Cisco's workshop to discuss theories about what the device attached to Iris could be. Wally went to run off steam in the training room and Joe welcomed the silence and isolation in the Cortex.  
Once Barry had some privacy he set about cleaning Iris' exposed skin with some soap and warm water. Caitlin had sedated her so that she could have as much uninterrupted rest as possible. Once he had finished, he changed her tattered pants and blouse – clearly what she had worn to work the day she had been abducted – into a star labs t-shirt and sweats. He was relieved to not see any bruises on any of the area of her body that had not been covered by her clothing. That small victory brought the tears back to his eyes. He slumped down next to her again, placed her hand between his and kissed each digit. "I'm so sorry Iris. I'm so, so sorry."

Wally and Joe both shot up from where they had fallen asleep, their heads on the computer desks in the control room, at the sound of Iris' terrified voice and Barry's raised one.  
"What the hell is going on?" Joe stood alarmed. Wally gave his dad a hard look and flashed towards the corridor that led to the medical bay. Joe took off running behind him, annoyed at his human legs.  
"Get away from me!" Iris was off the bed and in the corner of the room. Her hands were in front of her and she looked ready to karate chop…Barry? Barry was confused, he was standing, an arm out to her, pleading with her to calm down. He was saying over and over, "It's me. It's Barry."  
"We need Caitlin." Wally said to no one in particular and left to retrieve her. Joe stepped in the doorway of the med bay and called out to his daughter and she locked eyes on him.  
"Dad," she responded in recognition but did not soften her stance. Joe turned to Barry, his own confusion marking his face, and he moved tentatively over to his daughter.  
"Baby it's ok. You're safe." Joe said.  
"Get him away from me!"  
"What happened?" Caitlin's hoarse voice came. She'd clearly been deeply asleep. Joe was holding Iris tightly to him now and she seemed to be calming down, though it helped that Barry had also put some distance between them. "What happened?" Caitlin asked again. Barry blurred out the room completely so that Joe could tend to Iris and he could speak to Caitlin.  
"She woke up. I spoke to her and she ran away from me. What is going on Caitlin?" Cisco and HR bounded in the room then.  
"She may just be a little confused Barry. We don't know what happened to her when she was abducted."  
"She's afraid of me!" Barry shouted.  
"She's disoriented." Caitlin matched.  
Barry took a step back and breathed in, trying to calm himself down. He checked his tone. "She recognized Joe…" he said. The two of them turned to watch Joe and Iris now. Joe had gotten Iris to return to the bed. Wally who was in the med bay now, reached out and enveloped Iris into a reciprocated hug. Obviously, she wasn't that disoriented, Barry thought. His stomach did a summersault as he watched the three together and he turned to Cisco and Caitlin with terror in his eyes. "What is going on here?"  
Caitlin stepped pass him towards the med bay. She had to see for herself if what she knew Barry was thinking was actually true.  
"Iris?"  
"Caitlin." Iris responded. She sounded so exhausted it put Caitlin on high alert.  
"Why don't we have you lie down? You shouldn't be up just yet ok." She instructed giving Wally and Joe pointed looks. Wally took his sister's hand in his.  
"What happened?" Iris asked, the room was in focus now and so was Caitlin, her brother, her father, Cisco and HR. The latter two lingered at the entrance.  
"You really scared us." Cisco said and cracked that winning Cisco smile that always had a way of leaching the tension out of a room.  
"Yeah, we were all a mess." HR sprinkled. "BA could barely put himself together!" Cisco frowned at that and tilted his head just a little as if listening to someone outside of Iris' view.  
Barry hung back behind Cisco and HR despite his desperate need to be by Iris' side. He couldn't help but envy all his friends in that moment for the close proximity they were sharing with her. It was annoying not having an explanation for why she had freaked out so much with him earlier. Her eyes had fluttered open and he had leaned over to plant a kiss on her forehead. Nothing too forward, he'd just wanted her to know how much he loved her and how happy he was to have her awake and with him again. But then she'd literally tried to escape him so fast she fell off the bed. His heart pounded in his chest. He didn't care how much Caitlin tried to put him at ease, something was very wrong with Iris. He should know after all. She was his Iris.  
As Iris lay back against the pillow Caitlin had propped up for her, Caitlin began hooking her back up to the monitors and also put the drip back in her arm.  
"Thank you Caitlin." Iris said and smiled, though weakly.  
Caitlin smiled back at her, "You need to stay here in bed for a while longer. Please."  
"What happened to me?" Iris asked again.  
"Do you remember anything?" Joe asked over Caitlin's shoulder. He came to sit by Iris' bedside.  
"I remember going home and then…no…that's all I remember?" Iris responded, her brown eyes fell down on her hands as she fiddled with them. "What happened to me?"  
"You were missing for a full week." Wally offered. Iris' eyes widened and she searched the face of everyone in the room. Was this some kind of joke? Wally continued, "we searched everywhere for you. Then you just showed up downtown." Wally explained.  
"Do you remember being in a room. Do you remember someone being there?" Cisco prodded. Caitlin gave him a disapproving look. But Cisco could feel the energy of his worried friend standing behind him. Barry was losing his mind in silence. "I vibed you in a dark room while you were …taken. Do you remember any of that?"  
Iris closed her eyes and the monitor began to increase in its ticks.  
"Damn it guys. She's not ready." Caitlin spat, moving close to Iris again.  
Joe rested a hand on his daughter's forearm. "Baby it's okay. Listen to Caitlin. We can deal with this later."  
"Yes, I remember a room." Iris replied. Everyone in the room fell quiet. Barry moved closer until he was standing just behind HR, shielded by the other man's matched height. Iris gasped. "There was a man there!" She let out a sob and Barry forgot why he had fallen back. He was in the room beside her before he'd even thought through the decision. Iris' eyes snapped open. "You." She said in a whisper first, but then she shouted it, raring to get away from him. "It was you! You took me! You tried to kill me." The monitor began to tick out of control as Iris struggled to catch her breath.  
"Caitlin? Caitlin help her please!" Barry pleaded. Caitlin pushed Joe out of the way to get better access to Iris who was hysterical at this point. "He's trying to kill me!" she said, pure and unadulterated terror in her voice and all over her features. She was clutching at the side of her head, clearly in physical pain. Cisco noticed. Caitlin grabbed a hold of Iris' shoulders and turned towards Barry  
"You have to leave," she said, when Barry hesitated, she screamed, "now!"  
Cisco said what Caitlin wouldn't. "She's going into cardiac arrest." Wally blurred Barry out the room and from the distance he saw Caitlin, with the paddles in her hand, working to pull Iris back from the brink of death. Barry could only look on. His eyes cloudy, his desperation so palpable, he couldn't breathe.

Barry sat quietly, listening as Cisco took center stage. He was explaining, using the monitor before them as visual help, what he now knew about the device attached to Iris's head.  
"It's a Nano Implant. Her scan shows that it is connected to her cerebellum with tiny networks of stems also fastened to her Visual Cortex as well. There is also one long line reaching all the way to her frontal lobe."  
"Her emotional center." Caitlin added for the non-scientists benefit."  
"So whoever did this is controlling her motor skills, how she reads what she is seeing and also her emotions." Barry said, thinking out loud. Cisco nodded and HR pointed his drumstick towards Barry then did a silent drum strike in thin air. Cisco rolled his eyes at him.  
"I think its emitting tones in the 15000 Hz range and whoever is doing this is using that frequency to hypnotize her."  
"To what end?" Joe asked frustrated.  
"To somehow keep her and Barry apart? That's juvenile." Caitlin said.  
"Unless it's not." Barry muttered. Cisco nodded at him.  
"How did they get the implant in her in the first place? I mean, did they…cut her?" Wally asked, his hand came to cover his mouth, his eyes watery.  
"No." Caitlin replied with such confidence, everyone turned towards her, surprised. "There's no way she had brain surgery at this magnitude and was able to just walk around a week later. Besides, I've checked and there is no sign of an incision."  
"So…?" Joe trailed.  
"So I think this implant was fastened to her brain without surgery."  
"And I don't know of any implant like that in existence." Cisco spoke. "I checked in with Felicity too, she doesn't either." He breathed out a jagged breath and locked eyes with Barry.  
Barry, as if receiving the understanding telepathically, explained. "It's from the future. What's happening to her is related to Savitar somehow."  
"You think this is how he gets a hold of Iris in the future vision. He manages to keep you a part?" Caitlin asked. Barry didn't respond to that.  
"Or maybe he just wants to extend the pain before he finally rips my heart out!" Barry spat. "Let's not just kill her. Let's make sure she thinks I'm a monster who is trying to kill her for months before finally taking her away from me permanently!" Cisco sighed and walked over to his best friend.  
HR twiddled his drumsticks. "Sure Savitar isn't a bitter ex?" He asked.  
"So what do we do?" Wally asked. Cisco wrung his hands before him and finally clapped them together.  
"I'll need some time but I think I can make something that could counteract the high level sound frequency that is being transmitted from this thing. Wally I could use your help."  
"We need to get it out of her." Barry said. "If Savitar can use this thing to make her think I could ever hurt her, he could use it to do anything he wants with her. I can't just stand by and let that happen."  
"Barry we're going to stop him."  
"Call me when you have an idea how."  
"Where are you going?" Joe demanded.  
"I can't be here right now Joe. Not when…" Barry broke off as he stared in the direction of the med bay. "Just call me." With that he flashed off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

After a week Iris was ready to leave Star Labs. Joe decided that it was for best that she move back to his until they found a way to take care of the Nano Implant. There, Joe and Wally could keep watch of her and when it was time for her to return to work, Barry and Wally could tag team as her surveillance team. Although Barry had returned to their apartment, it was decided that it was in Iris' best interest if he kept his distance so having her stay with him was not an option. Barry was devastated of course but he couldn't disagree.  
It was just a special kind of hell to have to be at the apartment without her. The moment he stepped back through the doors, gym bag full of the belongings he had left with, hanging from a shoulder, the consequence of his decision to leave collided with him.  
Wally came by to collect some of his sister's belongings. The two speedsters didn't say much to each other during the visit. The events of the past few weeks, ever since Wally told the team what he'd seen in the future, had hung like a rank smell between them and there hadn't been much time to talk. Now that Iris was in imminent danger – more than usual, anyway – there seemed to be even less will to spark up a conversation.  
"If you need to know how she is…" Wally offered as he walked to the door. He hesitated and Barry smiled a little in gratitude.  
"I'll call."  
"She'll be okay." Wally assured, it was hollow; Barry didn't respond.  
The night stretched out before Barry. He did some research on a case he was working on; watched a couple old episodes of The Big Bang Theory, read two chapters of a Fantasy novel he had bought and then promptly forgotten about; and finally at some minutes to 2 in the morning, he tried to force himself to sleep. The bed sheets smelt like her shampoo. Laying there in the stillness of the night, he could almost hear her breathing. When he dared close his eyes, it was her lips that he saw, so inviting. The memory of their last night together came rushing back in high definition. He could almost feel the tangible weight of her body on top of him, the way her shape fitted perfectly beneath him, how they moved together as one. Barry sat up in bed, aching with need and, growled in the stiffness of the silence. He would have to run. Maybe then, being sleep deprived would finally catch up to him.  
Barry ran to the West's house. When his body came to a full-stop he was only faintly surprised that his feet had taken him there without conscious intention. Of course, the lights were off and the house was quiet. It gave him some relief to know that she was resting; that her life was getting back to normal already; that soon she'd be back to her normal self again, laughing, teasing, working, and bringing light to every dark place she entered…Her smile would shift the very atmosphere of a room once more and the calm, gentle way she spoke would set hearts at ease again. Only, not his, maybe ever again, because although he would most definitely save her from death, he couldn't be sure he'd be able to save her love for him. But in the future vision she'd said, 'I love you Barry.' Those were her last words. So maybe they had been able to stop whatever Savitar was doing right now. He couldn't even be happy about that.  
Tears pooled in his eyes at the thought of Iris moving on with her life without him in it and frustrated and fed up, he made to run off. The he heard her and hesitated, listening. A second later her voice escaped through the cracked window of her bedroom.  
As a boy, before his mother's death and before he was forced to come and stay at the West's, he used to come by this very window to call to her. It was usually on a Saturday morning. He'd be on his bike and his intension was always to see if she might be up for riding to the park with him. Most times she was willing and her head, framed with her beautiful tight curls would appear by the window. She would smile that dazzling smile that over the years had only become more brilliant, and his heart would skip a little. But there was that one time when he'd arrived and called up to her and he had been welcomed with the sound of her crying instead. Even then, as a young boy, all he'd wanted to do in that moment was rush into her room and comfort her but he'd heard Joe's voice, though muffled, doing the job of a good father and, he'd ridden off. That was the day she'd realized she'd lost her mother's wedding band.  
Iris' whimper jolted him out of his rumination and without thinking it through, Barry blurred to the front door and phased right through it. Once inside, he flashed upstairs to her room. He hesitated then. Maybe he should wake up Joe or Wally. When she started whimpering again he made up his mind and blurred through the door. She woke up just as he entered on the other side and both of them froze in their positions. She seemed dazed for a moment. The light from the moonlight made her confused expression clear. Barry was paralyzed. He watched her blink a few times and he saw the moment recognition hooded her eyes. He braced himself for her scream but, it didn't come. Instead, she reached over to the bedside table and turned on the light. The warm yellow of the lamp teased the room awake but left shadows hanging on the walls. Iris shifted her body forward on the bed to get a better look at her intruder. Barry was in full panic mode now.  
"Flash?" Iris called out. Her voice was curious, light and, there was an incline that sounded almost like humor in there too. Barry let out the air he'd trapped in his lungs. "What are you doing in my room Flash?"  
Flash? The name was strange on her tongue. Barry looked down at himself and remembered then that he had changed into his flash suit so that he could run without worrying that anyone would recognize him. His mask suddenly felt too tight against his face, as he stood searching her eyes for any further understanding. The Iris who was looking at him now reminded him of the Iris who used to meet him on the Jitters rooftop, before she'd discovered his secret. She threw her feet over the bed and climbed out of it and Barry noticed immediately that she was wearing her college shirt. It stopped just pass her hips, leaving her legs in full display. He took a step forward involuntarily and she grabbed a robe that was hanging across a chair. He watched her slip it on. Barry cleared his throat and shifted his weight on his feet. He was inwardly cursing his body for deciding now, to take on a mind of its own. The last thing he wanted to do was spook Iris or worse, offend her. She didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she was being kind enough to him to not point out what he thought was very obvious. She did cross her arms over her chest however, and she smiled. He desperately wanted to sit down. "Don't you ever sleep?" she asked. He chuckled.  
"I couldn't sleep tonight. I've got a lot on my mind." I can't stop thinking about you – is what he really wanted to say. Right before he sped into her arms. Instead he continued with, "Are you worried about me Miss West?"  
"Should I be worried that you are in my room?" she asked pointedly, gesturing to the surroundings.  
"No." He frowned a little at that, she'd be right to. He was a vigilante after all, and if she really didn't remember that he was Barry, what explanation could he give for being in her bedroom? The last thing he wanted was for her to feel anything but ease with him right now. He'd missed their ease so much. He wasn't sure why she wasn't also terrified of his alter-ego but he was grateful for this unexpected lifeline. "I was…um…passing by and I heard you call out. It sounded like you were in distress so I…phased into your room…I know it sounds crazy but I promise I am not a creep. If you want me to go I will leave."  
"No…no." Iris took a few steps toward him and his heart skipped a beat. "If you can stay a little longer," she looked away; was she blushing? "I would love it if you did – even if it is a little creepy that you were lingering outside my bedroom window at 2 something in the morning." She grinned and he matched her.  
"Okay." Barry walked over to her and she gestured for him to sit down on her bed. She did the same. Propping up against a pillow." "So…Miss West. Do you want to talk about the nightmare?"  
"No," she replied and her eyes locked on him, "thank you for staying with me Flash."  
I'll never leave you again. Barry thought. He reached out a gloved hand and gripped hers and said instead, "my pleasure."

Caitlin wasn't the best at putting your mind at ease so when Iris asked her right out if she thought they'd be able to get the implant out, Caitlin led with the truth. By the time she was done, Iris was convinced that she was either going to be stuck with the silver stud in the back of her head for the rest of her life, or die a horrible death under the knife. After her checkup, Iris had stayed in the med bay. Now alone, she lifted her hand tentatively and for the first time, since she'd learned what had happened to her, she allowed herself to touch the stud at the back of her head. The moment her fingers connected, she withdrew her hand in fear and gripped the sides of her bed instead.  
"Hey…" Cisco greeted, walking into the room. Iris looked up at him, feeling defeated.  
"I can't take this anymore Cisco. I'm still a prisoner. A victim."  
"Iris West is no victim." Cisco offered. Iris thanked him with a smile. "Look, I get it." He continued and walked over to her. "I'm working on something to help. We're going to figure this out. We'll get that thing out of you and get you your life back. I promise." He took her hand into his. "How are you…you know, otherwise?"  
"Not great." She whispered and closed her eyes. "I'm not sleeping well." She admitted. She opened her eyes to look at him. "I'm having nightmares about Barry Allen."  
"Really?"  
"He's standing there and he's calling my name and I…I'm trying to walk to him but the distance between us just gets wider and wider and before you know it, I'm alone and it's pitch black…" Her voice hitched in her throat. "I'm so confused Cisco." Cisco was studying her. A thought forming in his head but as he saw the exhaustion hover over her countenance, he decided it was better to share it with the team rather than bring it up to Iris just now. He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her forehead.  
Barry sat in the Cortex watching the monitor for the med bay with a frown on his face.  
"Nothing to see there." Caitlin's voice came from over his shoulder. "Cisco is just being a friend. You know that." On the screen they both watched as Cisco released Iris from a warm embrace.  
"I know." Barry admitted. "It's just hard to see when she won't even let me in the same room with her.  
"She's not doing it on purpose." Caitlin defended. "She's going through a lot. It's a kind of hell."  
"I know."  
But Caitlin continued, "Do you remember when Grodd was trying to control your mind? Do you remember the pain and loss of control you felt?" Barry nodded, "It's kind of similar to that."  
"Yes and, Iris saved me. She broke his control over me. Why can't I do the same for her?"  
"I don't think it works the same way Barry. Stop beating yourself up so much."  
Barry put his head down on the table in front of him. "This can't be it for us Caitlin." He said, his voice muffled. "I can't do this. Any of this, without her."  
"I actually think you might be on to something Barry." Cisco's voice interrupted. He'd walked into the room unbeknownst to them, while they were talking about Grodd. He was looking at them both as if he'd discovered the cure for a terrible disease. "Barry the nightmares you talked about her having when you saw her as the Flash, she says she's having them every night." Cisco told him. "She's dreaming about you Barry."  
"What?"  
"Yes. She said she dreams about Barry Allen, calling her name and in her dreams, she's trying to reach you." Cisco smiles a little. 'I think her brain… heart…both….are trying to counteract what the Nano Implant is forcing her to believe. Her subconscious is fighting back." Caitlin's face lit up and she turned with a wide smile for Barry.  
"It's the stuff epic love stories are made of!" she said excitedly.  
"It is pretty dope." Cisco agreed.  
Barry shut up like a soldier ready for war. "Tell me what to do."  
"Well…I have a really crazy idea." Cisco said.  
"I think I know!" Caitlin said, reading Cisco with wide eyes. Cisco pointed to her and Caitlin cleared her throat.  
"Cisco is going to vibe you into one of her dreams."  
"Girl you're good!" Cisco cheered, clapping his hands.  
"I know." Caitlin said chuckling. Barry was still serious though. Although his friends were already celebrating, he wasn't so sure he could allow himself to, just yet.  
"Do you really think you can do that?"  
"Before Gypsy left, she told me I could do a lot of things that I just hadn't learned to do yet. I've got a gut feeling this is one of them. I need some time to make a few tweaks on my visor but I can be ready by tonight…"  
"Thank you Cisco." Barry breathed and, for the first time in a while, he really smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Iris drummed her fingers on the table, looking out at nothing in particular as she waited for Caitlin to return with her test results. When another five minutes passed and she was still left hanging, Iris dismounted from the bed and made her way to the Cortex. She figured that's where she'd find her doctor. What Iris did find was Barry Allen. He was standing with his back turned to her, reading something in a folder and hadn't seen when she approached. She turned sharply to leave the room and her high heels scraped against the floor. She knew he had spotted her without looking in his direction. Her heart rate was already speeding at a disconcerting speed and she almost ran.  
"I can leave." He said, she heard how the words squeezed through his clenched teeth. She clasped and unclasped her hands, trying to command her quaking to stop. This panic wasn't rational. Hadn't everyone on the team told her this fear was the work of the Nano Implant attached to her brain? Even the Flash, on his visit last night, had told her that Barry Allen was safe and as far as he knew, they were very good friends. Iris turned around to face the man who was still standing only a few steps away from her. She was surprised to find that he looked more terrified than she did. She closed her eyes for a moment and willed herself to see him as an unassuming stranger and not the monster who had kidnapped her.  
"It's OK." She said, but even so, she backed away from him a little.  
"Iris…I," he began to speak but thought better of it. "How are you?"  
"I'm OK," she replied. "Tired actually." It was the truth, she really wasn't sleeping well. The dreams were getting worse, more vivid. Last night she'd woken up in a cold sweat and had needed to physically walk around the house to try and shake the feeling of loss that had overcome her. The Flash had already visited and left and the rest of the house had been sleeping so she'd been left alone with all the emotions she'd been avoiding. Her walk downstairs took her to a picture of her and Barry. It was a picture of them as children. With the streetlights that slipped between the loose curtains, she could make out their smiling faces. They'd clearly been comfortable with each other, happy even. Everything she knew told her Barry was friend not foe but none of it helped. It was like living with another person's brain in control of your body. Her heart and her mind were in constant disagreement. The feeling of loss she'd experienced after every dream had seeped into her days and she was walking around with it as a handbag. Standing in front of Barry Allen - the loss was so pronounced now it was like someone was squeezing her heart between their fingers. She breathed deeply and spoke. "So you work here too?"  
"We help the Flash." Barry explained, shuffling his weight on his feet. "I'm kind of his CCPD contact so…" He didn't meet her gaze she observed.  
"That's cool." She replied. Barry only nodded. A moment of heaviness hung between them like an anvil suspended in mid-air, threatening to fall at any moment. Barry cleared his throat and delivered them both, "The Flash mentioned that he's been seeing you." Iris cocked her head to the side and looked at him, her cherry red lips a little pursed, and Barry worried he'd gone too far. "He just mentioned it because he works with Joe too and, you know, you're Joe's daughter."  
"Right of course. Yes. He visits me after his patrol at night and we…we talk." Iris replied. She smiled at the memory of their last conversation. She was more convinced than ever that the Flash did in fact have feelings for her. Now that she knew he was also talking about her with others, she couldn't help but feel flattered. Barry recognized the look on her face and he was conflicted. On the one hand, he was thrilled that she felt something for his alter-ego but on the other hand, he knew it would not be enough. It was Barry Allen that Iris loved, the Flash was just a part of what she loved about him. He couldn't make their relationship work if she couldn't trust him as himself. When the silence returned Iris turned to leave and Barry reacted. He moved towards her.  
"Iris..." He called softly. She stopped and faced him a couple of steps away. Her heart was racing again although, she couldn't quite confirm if it was anxiety she was feeling. "I miss you." He sounded pained. "I know you feel something for me." He continued. "I can see it in your eyes…even now when that damn thing is telling you to run." She was still frozen when he covered the remaining steps and put a hand on hers, holding her wrist in his gently. Making sure to feel for any resistance from her. It didn't come and he took a chance and kissed her. He felt her whole body shudder and wasn't sure whether it was from fear or need. He nipped at her bottom lip just slightly but when she tilted her head up to him and gave him better access to her, he lost his control for a moment and pulled her in, deepening the kiss. Barry felt the distinct resistance then. Iris planted both her palms against his chest and pushed him, with force, away from her. Barry didn't have time to wallow in rejection. Iris clutched at her chest and her face contorted in pain. Instinctively he reached out for her but she cried out and grabbed the side of her head. "Caitlin!" Barry turned and made to flash away then, remembering he couldn't, sprinted out the Cortex instead. The moment he was in the hallway, he flashed the rest of the way to Caitlin. She was in the lab with Cisco. "It's Iris!" is all he said.  
"What happened?" Caitlin asked.  
"I kissed her."

When Iris walked into the newsroom a few hours later she was swallowed up by the noise and the urgency. After talking to a handful of colleagues who wanted to know all about her ordeal, she was finally able to retreat to her office but only after promising to have a meeting with her editor later in the week.  
The moment she opened the door to her office, a powerful scent of sweet and spice and berries, arrested her. Her office was a nursery of Damask roses! Twelve dozen to be exact. Her coworker, Margarete was all too obvious about having counted them before she arrived and she stuck her head in the door way to tell her. Once Iris was alone again, she'd read the card. It said, 'Thank you for the talk.' Iris knew immediately that the roses were from the Flash. She'd half expected it to be from Barry. How did the Flash know she loved pink roses?  
Iris spent the morning getting caught up with work. She found a paper she'd been working on - an expose on a young billionaire who had recently opened a children's home in Central City - and spent three hours completing it. She hadn't pitched the article to her editor yet but she was hoping with the interview Billy Shubert had given her, it would be enough to at least pique his interest. It wasn't a front page story, she knew, but it was a story worth telling. As she hit send on the email, with the article appended and her reasons clearly laid out, she allowed her thoughts to drift to the one person she was keeping at bay all morning. As she gave herself permission to wander, Central City's scarlet savior rushed front and center to her mind. She fingered a single rose, lifting it to her nose and inhaling deeply. When had she fallen so hard for the masked hero? She didn't even know who he was. How could she possibly have such strong feelings for him? Was this a trick courtesy of the implant as well? Ever since learning about what had happened to her, and since her dad had walked her through her history with Barry Allen, including the fact they were in love and had been living together, Iris was struggling to make sense of her world. She was doubting everything she was feeling. How could she fear Barry Allen and love him deeply at the same time? He'd been her best friend for twenty years! Everyone said they loved each other more than anything else in the world. Of course she believed them. She had the silver knob in her head as proof that they were not lying, but it still didn't make it easy to come to terms with it all. She was grateful that Barry was trying to keep his distance – the kiss today notwithstanding. She was grateful too to have the Flash as a distraction. No one seemed bothered that he'd been visiting her, even though they all worked with him – including Barry. She wandered how Barry really felt about him, he couldn't be completely okay with him.  
"Wow." A voice interrupted her thoughts. Iris looked up to see Caleb standing in the entrance of her office. "Someone isn't subtle." He said and laughed. Iris looked around her, smiling.  
"Can I help you Caleb?" She asked, already turning towards her computer to get back to work.  
"Yes, you can actually." Iris turned back toward him, confused and slightly annoyed if she was honest. He entered her office completely and walked right over. Iris began to form a thought but…she lost it. "Have lunch with me today." She blinked and a searing pain struck her on the side of her head. Iris folded over her desk, her breath knocked out of her for a moment. Then, almost as quickly, she sat up and made eye contact with Caleb.  
"Ok…" she replied feeling like she was on uneven ground. Caleb smiled, his blue eyes intense, glowing, behind the blue rims of his glasses. Iris had the weirdest sensation, like she might be drowning. She gasped, trying to catch her breath. "I'm suddenly not feeling so well." She admitted. Caleb brushed a hand against her cheek.  
"Low blood sugar probably. Let's get out of here." He reached out his hand and she stood and placed hers in it. He ushered her out of the office.

Barry logged off his computer and turned to head down to Captain Singh's office with his report on the homicide he'd been working on for the past two days. Joe was making it up the stairs to him and Barry readied a smile for the older man but it dried up on his face when he saw Joe's expression.  
"We were supposed to meet for lunch. "He said, before he'd finished his ascension. "I've tried calling her." Wally grabbed his phone and had Wally on the other line in quick succession.  
"Do you have eyes on Iris?"  
"Yes." Wally answered but his voice sounded strange.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I don't know if anything is wrong it's just…she left CCPN with some guy that works with her."  
"What do you mean?"  
"They're at a restaurant down town right now, having sushi."  
"What? Why didn't you call me!?" Barry snapped.  
"Because of how you're reacting right now." Wally retorted. "I told Cisco. He's keeping an eye on the situation and I'm right outside. If anything happens, I'll have my hand around his neck before he can cough." Barry's jaw twitched. He knew Wally was right, this could be a work related meeting for all he knew but wouldn't she have called Joe to let him know. This didn't feel right to him.  
Barry turned to Joe to speak but he put his hand up.  
"Barry trust your gu-." Barry was gone before Joe could enunciate -'t'.  
"Cisco I need the address of the restaurant where Iris is right now." Barry said into his intercom.  
"Dude what are you doing? She's fine."  
"Cisco the address!"  
"39 Broadway Street."  
"Thanks."  
When Barry arrived across the street from the restaurant, suited up as the Flash, Wally was there to meet him. They invited some attention as they both stood before each other.  
"What are you doing?" Wally asked.  
"Making sure she's ok."  
"That's what I'm doing." Wally retorted, clearly offended. "I've got this. She's my sister, I'm not about to let anything else happen to her." Barry walked passed him.  
"You can tell me I'm overreacting after I'm sure she's safe." He was about to cover the last bit of distance, across the street, to the establishment, when Iris and her companion emerged from the exit. Barry recognized the man she was with right away. It was the coworker with the silver blond hair that had creeped him out. Barry didn't head over to them right away but he did watch Iris intently, searching for any sign of distress.  
"See, she's fine…"Wally was just saying when both of them stilled. The man took Iris by the waist and moved close to her. Wally opened his mouth to speak but Barry was already gone. A blink later, so was Iris and the co-worker was standing Iris-less on the street. Wally made a crazy decision in the moment. He snatched up the man as well and headed in the direction he figured Barry was heading - Star Labs.

"You brought him here!?" Cisco exclaimed. "What were you thinking? We can't just go snatching up anyone who talks to Iris. That's kidnapping." Wally rolled his eyes.  
"He's fine. Maybe a little shaken up." Barry walked into the Cortex, Caitlin behind him.  
"She is still not waking up." Caitlin announced. When Barry arrived at Star Labs, Iris was out cold. That was over thirty minutes ago.  
"I think he knows something." Barry said, referring to their prisoner. Wally gave Cisco a look, feeling a little vindicated but Cisco just shook his head at the younger speeder. "I'm going to go and talk to him as the Flash."  
"I'm getting dad." Wally said and left. Neither Cisco nor Caitlin objected with Barry's plan so Barry walked out of the room, choosing not to blur to steady his nerves. If this man was really involved, he needed to remain calm and in control if he was going to get him to help them. Iris' life might be at stake. He didn't expect it to be an easy interrogation, but it took less than 5 seconds for him to walk into the man's presence before the man was talking.  
"Hello Flash?" He greeted, "Or should I say Barry Allen."

Cisco walked into the med bay where Iris was lying unconscious and Joe was sitting with her. Caitlin, Wally and HR were talking in the Cortex. After observing Iris for a moment, Cisco walked out to the Cortex to join Caitlin and Wally. Wally was in the middle of saying something so Cisco approached silently so he could catch the tail end of the conversation. "When I was in the Speed Force prison, reliving the hell of seeing my mom die was the worse experience in the world…somewhere inside me, I knew I was trapped but there was nothing I could do. I was powerless. I just hate to think that, that is what Iris is experiencing right now."  
HR patted Wally on the shoulder. "What young Wallace is saying team is, we can't keep sitting by and just letting this happen. It's time to take action."  
"Yeah. I think we get that HR." Cisco scolded.  
Caitlin sighed. "I just don't know if there is anything we can do."  
"Well it seems to me that if she's asleep now…it's the perfect opportunity." HR continued, then he backed tracked, "Not that her lying unconscious is perfect in any way, but..."  
"But now is the time to try and use the high frequency nullifier to stall the connection of the Nano Implant and vibe Barry into her subconscious."  
"Are you sure you can actually do that?" Caitlin asked. Before Cisco could answer Barry flashed in.  
"His name is Caleb Blue and he is one of Savitar's followers."  
"Wow." Wally huffed.  
"He confessed to everything." Barry continued. "He started working at CCPN this year – so pretty much when I returned from Flashpoint." He visibly flinched from that, "He says his job was to watch Iris and wait for directions but then…he fell in love with her."  
"Of course." Cisco exclaimed exasperated. "Let me guess. He's saving her from you."  
"You guessed it."  
"How does he figure hypnotizing her with a future tech attached to her brain protects her from you?"  
Barry sighed. "He thinks if she is far away from me, Savitar might change his mind about killing her." Even as he said it and he saw the look on his friends face, he knew they were trying to avoid the same thought that came into his mind when Caleb had said it: maybe he was right.  
"Don't even think it!" Joe's voice boomed in the room. He walked over with strong strides. "My daughter is not some damsel in distress with no free will of her own. She may have lost control right now but don't forget who she's always been. Iris' choice is you Barry. It doesn't matter what some psychopath's misguided intentions are, she has a choice and she made it! She knew the risk, she knew the danger and she has known for months that her life was in jeopardy but she still wanted to be with you."  
"Joe is right. If you hadn't called it quits –"  
"Cisco!" Caitlin chided.  
"Fine. Asked for some space. She would still have been with you right now."  
"Okay. Well. So what do we do?" Wally asked. "Right now my fearless sister needs us."  
"No. She needs me." Barry rested a gloved hand on Cisco's shoulder. "I want you to vibe me into her subconscious."

Cisco hooked up the nullifier to Iris. It was a small, unassuming piece that looked like a simple earpiece but was in fact blasting a high frequency that they could not hear. The moment he turned it on, someone did though. Barry heard the screaming and yelling all the way from the med bay and he and Wally blurred towards the pipeline. Joe rushed out too.  
When the Flashes arrived, Caleb was holding his head, buckled in a corner. He stood up when he realized he had company, still gripping his head. His veins popping, red and angry.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Getting you out of her head!" Wally exclaimed.  
"You can't break our connection." He screamed it. "I won't let you!"  
"You won't let me?!" Barry's rage shook the narrow corridor. He flashed right up to the door of the cell Caleb was in. "I should end you right now"  
"You can't touch me Flash. I told you. You hurt me, you hurt her. If anything happens to me…well…no more Iris West."  
"But you can't kill her." Wally suddenly said, realizing it even as he said it. Barry turned to him, confused. "If you could, you would have already. You know she'll never love you and if you're in her head, you know she's fighting to get back to Barry. You can't kill Iris because Savitar is still the one in charge and you're afraid of him." Caleb looked crestfallen for a moment before he got his wind back in his sails. He moved to the door of his cell so that he was right up to Barry  
"You're right. I can't kill her. I don't need to, Savitar will. What I will do is make sure she loses her mind. I will turn her mind to complete mush unless you free me…" Barry opened his mouth to speak but the clock of a gun behind them stopped him. Joe was standing with his gun pointed to the cell.  
"Barry, Iris is ready for you." He said. Barry looked at him, saw the message in his face and moved away. Joe walked up to the cell and turned to Wally. "Let me in." He ordered.  
Caleb backed away with dread. "You can't come in here."  
Wally pressed the release button and watched as the door slid open and Joe stepped inside. He closed the door behind him.  
Joe clocked his gun again. "What were you saying about hurting my daughter?"

"BA say high to the little lady for me will you." HR smiled. Barry sat down in the chair next to Iris' bed and Cisco came to stand behind the bed so that he was able to grip both Barry's shoulder and Iris'.  
"Ready or not," he breathed, goggles in place. "Here we …"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The apartment was lit by a soft blue light. Cisco hung back to give Barry room as they both walked into the living space. It didn't take long to find her. She was sitting by the window where he had left her the evening he'd asked her for space. Her face turned to him when he walked into the room. Barry looked down and realized he was wearing the same brown jacket, black shirt and slacks he was wearing that night as well. A sadness crept in his heart. Was this the nightmare she'd been having over and over? She was crying. He could see the silent tears against her cheek in the cool light. He approached slowly, unsure of what would happen. Would she think he was there to attack her again? Would she know it was him?

"Barry? I thought you left." She said, she wiped her face, straightened up in that single move that told Barry she was shielding her heart from him. "Did you forget something?"

"Yes." He replied honestly. He came to sit on the edge so that he was facing her.

Cisco stood next to the doorway, his back against the wall, and watched his two close friends. He was rooting for them both. He breathed out with relief as Iris visibly relaxed in Barry's presence. Maybe, he thought, just maybe this would work.

Barry rested a hand on her thigh, and used the other to wipe a single tear that was falling down her cheek. "I forgot, for a moment, that our love could conquer anything. When I was a little boy and my mother died and I thought I would never be ok again, you reached out to me and loved me, without even knowing what you were doing, and you saved my life. Through every painful encounter, every heartache growing up, it was your love that always, always pulled me back from the darkness. Last year when I was almost trapped in the Speed Force, you brought me home with that love. Then my father died and I forgot. I forgot that I had your love and that your love could make me whole, and I ran. I ran back in time and I created Flashpoint. Ever since then I've been living with that brokenness and fear and I allowed it to cloud your love. I realize now that I always had something more. Something stronger. I always had your love to bring me back from the darkness. I always had your love to come home to." He kissed her hand. "Iris I forgot for a moment but I promise you. If you give me another chance, I will never forget again."

Iris reached a hand out to touch his face. "I missed you so much." She whispered. She drew close to him and to Barry's reprieve, she brushed her lips against his. It was all the invitation he needed.

Cisco stepped away from the bed to give the lovebirds some room as they continued their kiss back in the Star Labs med bay. He wasn't really sure if Barry had even realized that Iris was awake or if Iris realized she was kissing Barry. To be honest, what did it matter in that moment? Caitlin looked on as the two continued to kiss each other softly. When Cisco cleared his throat, she teared her eyes away to look at him. He smiled at her and she blushed.

"That was a lot easier than I thought it would be." She said.

HR laughed loudly, "Maybe we should give them the room." He said, loudly. His words jarred the two lovebirds and interrupted their connection. Barry pulled away but not too far to put too much space between him and Iris. He searched her face as she smiled up at him.

"Hey…" He said, his breath brushing against her lips. She smiled.

"Barry…" She began, then her smiled fell from her face and she grabbed his hand, her nails digging into his wrist. "Something's wrong Barry!" She exclaimed. "Caleb…" His name escaped her and then as if on cue, the alarms on the monitor she was still hooked up to began to beep frantically. The danger was announced before Iris' body began to convulse and her eyes rolled back in her head.

"Iris!" Barry yelled, terrified. Wally blurred into the room. Panic all over his face.

"Something is happening to Caleb…I don't know…"

"It's him. He's doing this!" Barry shouted jumping to his feet. He and Caitlin swapped spots as he flashed out the med bay with Wally and Caitlin tried her best to help Iris. When Barry arrived at Caleb's cell, Joe was a complete mess.

"He said he'd lost and then he started to convulse." He had the gun in the air as if needing to show that he hadn't actually used it.

"He's killing himself." Barry said with realization. "He lost control of her and so he's giving up." Barry blurred into the cell. "He can't do this." He reached down and grabbed Caleb and lifted his face to his.

"Caleb! Let her go. Let her go!"

"I only wanted to help her." Caleb choked, foam forming in his mouth.

"Help her now. Help her now Caleb. You can still help her! Save her life. Let her go. Please!" Barry pleaded. "Please!" He begged. "I love her! I can't live without her. Don't do this. Let her go!" He knew he was losing Caleb. The whites of the man's eyes were showing. "Please. If you let her go, I promise you. I will make sure Savitar never hurts her. I promise!" The man's whole body went completely limp, his eyes wide and full of pain. Joe gasped, covering his mouth to shield the wail that was rising up in him. Wally's knees crashed to the floor. Barry's eyes were wide with devastation. He was still holding Caleb by the lapels of his shirt when someone's feet was heard rushing down the hall towards them. Barry let Caleb go and shakily managed to pull himself to his feet. He staggered out the cell, feeling very much like he was no longer a part of his body. Cisco arrived, doubling over and trying to catch his breath.

"Iris…" He tried to breathe in and release real words instead of the unintelligible wheezing gibberish that was actually forming. "Iris…" He said again. "She's ok."

"What?" It was Barry who said it.

"She was gone and then she just… wasn't…" Barry vanished before their eyes.

Cisco straightened, realizing now what had happened with Caleb and what they had all thought it had meant for Iris. As Joe stood looking at Caleb's lifeless, twisted body, Wally climbed to his feet, his body aching physically from the emotional torrent he'd just been feeling.

When Barry arrived at the doorway to the med bay and saw Iris lying there, eyes open, answering Caitlin's questions, he didn't move, he just stood there, staring at her, trying with all his might to make this moment of relief last forever.

Iris slept in the med bay for two nights afterwards. Caitlin wanted to run every test possible and although it was taxing, neither Barry nor Iris complained. On the second morning, when she awoke, Iris lifted her head from her bed and found that the silver knob that had been attached to her, had fallen off. She didn't know how it happened but it had, like a scab or a dried up pimple. A part from a sore spot in the area where it had been attached, there was nothing else to it. Caitlin spent that morning putting Iris under more grueling tests and an MRI scan before she was finally given a clean bill of health.

Cisco decided to keep the Nano Implant around to run his own tests. He didn't know what, if anything, could be found but he wanted the opportunity to try. Joe filed all the paperwork for Caleb allowing Barry to have the time he needed to see to Iris. Barry was grateful. He was also very appreciative when Wally brought Iris' belongings back to the apartment in preparation for her move back home.

Caitlin sent Barry the text he'd been waiting on for forty-eight hours. It read: "She's good to go." Barry turned to his friend and smiled.

"It's time."

"I'm happy things worked out the way they did." Cisco told him. "Next time you decide to take a break from the best thing that's ever happened to you, count me out!"

Barry slapped him on the back. "You're a good friend Cisco." He said, "Even when you're calling me an idiot to my face!" The two laughed. "Well," Barry breathed out, looking around the room one last time. "I've got a date with a very pretty lady so I've got to run."

"Show off!" Cisco watched as his friend flashed off and then closed up the apartment on his behalf.

She took tentative steps into the apartment, acclimating herself to the space she'd come to call home and had truly missed while she was at her father's. Nothing had changed and the soft colors and open space welcomed her like a warm hug. This was home where she and Barry had already made countless memories. Relief swept over her.

Iris placed her jacket carefully on the hook in the coat closet and let her fingers slide lazily across the surface of the living room wall, following it back into the center of the room and Barry's fixed gaze. He smiled at her and almost swept her off her feet. She'd missed him so much. It was as though being trapped in Caleb's mental prison had starved her of him. She longed to just fold into his arms; but she didn't move; still cautious.

"Cisco told me about the musicals." Iris craved the ease between them that she'd come to know so well. She smiled; hopeful and, so did Barry. "You were watching them…because of us." She knew how much he loved them and it'd become something they shared together on those nights when events at Star Labs or work had been extra wearing.

Following her train of thought, Barry nodded. "My mom used to say music has the power to make everything better."

Iris rubbed her palms together. "Did it work?" She asked. Barry took a few further steps in her direction but didn't close the gap completely.

"Iris honey…look, I don't know what's going to happen over the next few days; weeks. I don't know what's going to happen in the future." He sighed, letting the weight of those words hang a moment too long. Sadness began to creep into both their postures. Then he spoke again, "I just know I want you in it. I want you there every hour and every minute." Iris felt the tears pooling in her eyes and she blinked them away, trying to compose herself. Barry must have noticed because he covered the remaining ground between them and took both her hands in his. He kissed the back of her hands. "I got caught up with everything and it was all a little hazy for a moment but everything is perfectly clear to me now." He reached up and moved a tendril of her hair from her face and she leaned into his touch reactively. "All I want in this world is to come home to you every day. I want to run home to you and only you Iris." The tears pooled in her eyes again and he reached up his index finger and cleared a tear before it fell down her cheek.

"Iris I always knew…I knew from the start, when I was just a little boy, that very first day when you spoke up for me on that playground. I knew then that you would be my light in the dark. I had absolutely no choice but to love you." Iris felt her heart swell to the point of bursting. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would have a love like this. She was settling into that realization when Barry released her hands for a moment and the loss of his warmth was a small shock to her system, but she had little time to worry over it because he reached into his pocket and bent down before her on one knee. Iris' hands came to cover her mouth.

""I need you Iris. I want you. I love you. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Iris almost shrieked, the response was effortless, unbridled and without need of any consideration. Of course she wanted to marry him. He was her only choice. She reached down to pull him up and he met her body, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and hoisting her in the air. He straightened up but held her close, with only enough room for her to slowly shimmy down him. The moment her feet were flat on the floor his mouth found hers.

"I love you Barry Allen," she breathed into him, "always have…always will."


End file.
